[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E102]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SUPPORT FOR H.R. 367, THE PAY OUR COAST GUARD PARITY ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2019

  Mr. YOUNG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the unfortunate 
position the brave members of our Coast Guard were put in due to the 
recent shutdown. Even while they operated without pay, these courageous 
men and women continued to serve our country and I would like to 
highlight some of their stories.
  On January 12th, a Coast Guard aircrew responded to two surfers in 
distress off the Oregon Coast who had been pushed by the surf into a 
cliffside cove. Once on scene, the crew was able to hoist the surfers 
out of the water and get them to safety. On Christmas Eve of last year, 
the Coast Guard interdicted a migrant boat off the coast of the 
Dominican Republic. Onboard, the crews found 100 kilograms of cocaine 
heading for the United States. On January 6th, the Coast Guard Cutter 
Vigilant assisted the Haitian government in stopping a small boat 
dangerously overloaded with 70 Haitian migrants. The Coast Guard worked 
jointly with Haiti to stop the illegal immigration and maintain the 
safety of life at sea, something they regularly work with international 
partners to accomplish.
  These are just a few examples of the great work our Coast Guard does 
every day to protect the people in and around our waterways as well as 
in our country. Yet unlike the other branches in our armed forces who 
selflessly serve this country, our Coast Guard men and women were not 
getting compensated for their work during the shutdown. In 2013, 
Congress passed the Pay Our Military Act before a shutdown began to 
make sure members in the armed forces were able to collect their 
paychecks. I emphasize that this was done before the 2013 shutdown 
because we just went a little over a month in one and even with 
introduced legislation to make sure our Coast Guard got paid, we didn't 
act on it.
  There were 41,000 Active Duty Coast Guard members, 6,200 reservists, 
and 8,500 civilian personnel affected by the shutdown. It is estimated 
that 31 percent of Active Duty members do not have the savings needed 
to cover one month's worth of expenses. Moreover, some 13 percent do 
not have any emergency savings at all. This is not to mention the other 
benefits the Service members were missing out on like child care 
programs, death benefits, housing allowances, and required travel 
costs. Meanwhile, the negative impact on recruiting and retention of 
members due to the instability will likely have lasting effects long 
after the shutdown.
  My state is home to U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak, the largest Coast 
Guard base in the nation. From there, they coordinate a multitude of 
operations in the waters around Alaska, including north in the Arctic. 
They patrol our waters to ensure the proper adherence of fishing laws 
and regulations, coordinate search and rescue efforts, help establish 
and maintain aids to navigation, and conduct other missions to help 
save lives and strengthen national security. As the United States' only 
surface presence in the Arctic, their mission to ensure safe maritime 
activity and safeguard national security has gained importance due to 
the growing presence of Russia and China in the region. This mission is 
sure to only become even more significant as these foreign powers 
continue to expand their influence.
  Madam Speaker, I could go on about the many great things our Coast 
Guard does for both the state of Alaska and the United States as a 
whole, but I believe it is well understood in this chamber and across 
the country. With the threat of another shutdown in the near future, I 
fear that the members of our Coast Guard will be put in the same 
position again. That is why I urge we move to immediately bring up and 
pass H.R. 367, the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019, to make sure 
they are compensated moving forward. Meanwhile, I call on all members 
in Congress to come to the table and work with the Administration so 
that we can make a long-term agreement that is beneficial for all 
federal employees and prevent another shutdown.

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